Fury on streets of NYC: Pro-Palestine protestors storm Union Square and climb on George Washington statue chanting ‘long live Hamas’ – after shutting down Brooklyn Bridge and plastering stickers over Starbucks saying ‘Zionists are terrorists’

• A pro-Palestinian protest gathered outside the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday afternoon, before making its way into Manhattan later that evening
• The ‘Flood Brooklyn for Palestine’ protest attracted thousands of protesters holding up signs reading ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Zionism is Terrorism’
• Footage captured of the protest shows one man chanting ‘long live Hamas’, as others climbed a statue of George Washington in Union Square 

Pro-Palestine protestors who marched into Manhattan took over Union Square, with one man heard chanting ‘long live Hamas’ as others plastered ‘Zionists are terrorists’ stickers over Starbucks stores and the statue of George Washington.

The ‘Flood Brooklyn for Palestine’ protest attracted thousands of protesters holding up signs reading ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Zionism is Terrorism’. 

They shut down Brooklyn Bridge, with some scaling the landmark, earlier in the evening before making their way to Union Square in the heart of the city. 

Once there, footage shows a group of individuals scaling a statue of George Washington as others chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and ‘long live Hamas’. 

A large number also carried Palestine flags, wore keffiyehs, and placards that said: ‘Biden is funding genocide’ and ‘occupation is a crime.’ 

Pro-Palestine protestors who marched into Manhattan took over Union Square, with one man heard chanting ‘long live Hamas’ as others plastered a Starbucks and statue of George Washington in stickers that said ‘Zionists are terrorists’

A large number also carried Palestine flags, wore keffiyehs, and placards that said: ‘Biden is funding genocide’ and ‘occupation is a crime

Others plastered a Starbucks and statue of George Washington in stickers that said ‘Zionists are terrorists’

The ‘Flood Brooklyn for Palestine ‘ protest attracted thousands of protesters holding up signs reading ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Zionism is Terrorism’

The protestors crossed over the Brooklyn Bridge, with some scaling the landmark, earlier this evening before making their way to Union Square in the heart of the city

A large number also carried Palestine flags, wore keffiyehs, and placards that said: ‘Biden is funding genocide’ and ‘occupation is a crime’

Protestors can be seen here scaling the Brooklyn Bridge as the protest continues over the iconic bridge

Demonstrators chanted ‘free Palestine’ as they mounted the iconic George Washington statue and plastered it with stickers that read ‘Zionists are terrorists.’

The marchers also made a makeshift basketball hoop with the words ‘f–k Israel’ scrawled on the backboard, with protestors taking turns shooting free throws.

A group of anti-Israel protesters on 13th street were heard chanting ‘long live Hamas’, according to the New York Post. 

A Muslim woman also spoke  to the crowd and vowed ‘until it’s free, we will not stop.’

Separate footage also taken at Union Square shows the protestors chanting as a number of people have climbed to the plinth of a statue of George Washington. 

They can be heard singing: ‘Free, free, free Palestine. There’s only one solution. Free Palestine.’ 

A nearby Starbucks that the protest passed had been plastered with stickers, with one of them saying: ‘Zionism is terrorism’.

Another sticker posted on the door to the chain read: ‘Zionist donors and trustees, hands off our universities’, while another said: ‘From the U.S. to Palestine. Abolish the settler state.’ 

Protestors also graffitied the outside of the franchise, using spray paint to paint the words ‘Free Gaza’ on the store.  

Pictured have emerged of a Starbucks that the protest passed that had been plastered with stickers, with one of them saying: ‘Zionism is terrorism’

A member of Starbucks staff closed the doors of the establishment, as protestors continued to place stickers over it.

A flier posted to Instagram touting the protest by organizer Within Our Lifetimes warned, ‘The more they try and silence us, the louder we will be.

‘From across the city and around the world, across communities and national liberation struggles, united in defense of Gaza and all of Palestine, until liberation and return within our lifetime,’ the posting said.

A law enforcement source had told The New York Post that they expected to have between 1,500 and 1,800 officers stationed along the route.

One protestor told the New York Post: ‘I personally don’t think the state of Israel should exist. I don’t think anything except for we need to give the land back to Palestine.’

Another video also emerged earlier in the day of a Jewish man being confronted by protesters, with one of them branding him a ‘Zionist pig’.

The man can be seen waving the American and Israeli flag at the side of the protest, which quickly draws the attention of those marching. 

One protestor, wearing a keffiyeh, can be seeing calling him a ‘zionist pig’ and attempts to put a pro-Palestine sticker on him before another protestor holds him back. 

Amongst the protesters were members of the orthodox Jewish community who wore signs saying ‘Judaism condemns the State of Israel’ and ‘the Zionists Ignite the Fire.’ 

Jewish people had been warned earlier this week to avoid the area for their safety due to the ongoing protest

Protestors can be seen here outside the Barclays Center waving flags and holding signs saying: ‘Stop the Palestinian Holocaust’ 

The planned march, which comes as Israel announced it had entered the second ‘phase’ of its war against Hamas, began at 3pm on Saturday on Eastern Parkway.

Jewish people had been warned earlier this week to avoid the area for their safety due to the ongoing protest. 

Citing a security source, COLlive.com reported: ‘Jews should definitely avoid the area.

‘There’s no intel at this time in which direction the protest will head. Locals should definitely stay away from Eastern Parkway in that area.’

The Big Apple, which has the biggest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, has been a hotbed for protests since the conflict started earlier this month.

Earlier Thursday, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched from Wall Street to City Hall to protest against U.S. weapons manufacturers and investment companies and dozens of others have raged across the country and world.

Mayor Eric Adams said on Thursday that 233 people have been arrested at the over 100 protests and rallies held in the city.

This large scale protest comes after a similar pro-Palestine demonstration on Friday night in Manhattan’s Grand Central Station.

Protestors could be heard chanting: ‘No more weapons, no more war. Ceasefire is what we’re fighting for’

Footage has also emerged showing a large crowd attempting to enter the station, but are being held back by NYPD officers

Protestors at the ‘historic sit-in’ on the main concourse of the iconic Manhattan station could be heard chanting: ‘No more weapons, no more war. Ceasefire is what we’re fighting for.’ 

The New York Police Department said at least 200 people had been arrested in Grand Central, while protest organizers put the number at more than 300. 

Footage also showed a large crowd attempting to enter the station but being held back by NYPD officers trying to subdue the situation.

Signs were hung around the concourse, with one reading: ‘Palestinians should be free.’

Others said: ‘Mourn the dead, and fight like hell for the living’ and another called for an immediate ceasefire in the region. 

The New York Police Department said at least 200 people had been arrested, while protest organizers put the number at more than 300.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority had to close Grand Central Terminal due to the demonstration.

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